Type-writer ribbon-vibrator.



A. C. ROEBUCK.

TYPE WBiTER RIBBON VIBRATOR. APPLICATION FILED APR.25. 19x4.

1,922,326 Patented. Apr. 10, 1917.

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A. C. ROEBUCK.

TYPE WRITER mssom VIBRATOR.

- APPLICATION FILED APR. 25. 1914. L%%2,3260 Patented Apr. 10,1917.

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TED @TA PATENT ALVAE G. ROEBUCK, OF WOODSTOCK. ILLINOIS, ASIGNOR TO \VOODS'IOOK TYPEWRITER COMPANY, OF WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TYPE-WRITER RIBBON-YIBRATOR.

wan-m Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. MP, 191?,

7 Application filed April 25, 1914. Serial No. 834,555.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVAH C. RonBUoK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodstock, in the county of McI-Ienry and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-Writer Ribbon-Vibrators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a typewriter, and more particularly to that mechanism of the typewriter by means of which the typewriter ribbon is oscillated for upper and lower case writing and also for use with a polychrome ribbon for writing either upper or lower case position.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for varying the printing path on the ribbon by means of which the entire width of the ribbon can be utilized for inking and printing, and for the sake of economy.

For the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful bjects, as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts generally shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the specification, but more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a typewriter, with many of the parts in section, in which a ribbon vibrator mechanism constructed with the principles of this invention is incorporated; Fig. 2 is a detail view of the adjusting nut; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the ribbon vibrator and ad justing mechanism; Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation of the same; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view showing the eccentric; and Fig. 6 is a detail plan View of part of the mechanism shown by Fig. 3.

Various means are provided in connection with typewriters for changing the path of the printing ribbon, and it is desirable that the path of the ribbon may be easily varied not only for changing the longitudinal path upon which the type strikes the ribbon so as to utilize the whole width of the ribbon, but also to provide means for polychrome writing which is easily operated from the front or side of the machine. The present invention relates to an operating means and eccentrio adjustment arrangement by means of which both of these results may be accomplished by turning a thumb nut which proects through the front of the machine at one side thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 8 designates generally the base or frame of a typewriter to which a top plate 9 is secured. Mounted in a sub-frame 10 are key-levers 11 which extend to the front of the machine through a guide plate 12. Mounted in the top plate 9 1s a type bar segment 13 having slots 14 in which are pivoted type bars 15. Links 16 connect the key levers 11 with the type bars and cause the movement of the type bars into printing position. At the front of the machine is a rest 17 for the type bars and each of the type bars is formed with a heel 18 adapted to engage a universal bar 19 seated in a groove 20 at the rear of the type bar segment 13. The universal bar 19 is supported by means of a frame 21 pivoted at the rear to a rocker 22 which in turn is pivoted in a depending portion of the top plate 9 with a spring 23 disposed between the top plate and the rocker 22 tending to press the frame 21 forwardly to seat the universal bar 19 in the groove 20.

Mounted in ways 2% secured to the top plate 9 for sidewise movement in the frame is a carriage 25 in which is a printing platen 26 rotatable in a vertically adjustable platen frame 27. Secured to the platen frame 27 is a rod 28 upon which an arm 29 is pivoted with a platen shift roller 30 at the depending end of the arm.

Mounted in lugs 9 at the sides of the top plate 9 is a platen shift frame comprising a rod 31 pivoted to the lugs 9 to which are secured end members 32 and 33. A shift rail 34 'is secured to the end members 32 and 33 and the end members are provided with an abutment portion 35 adapted to be engaged by an arm 36 extending from one of the key levers 11, which is designated as the shift key lever. This key lever has a proper finger key. at the front of the machine. This shift rail 34 abuts the platen shift roller 30 and the movement of the shift arm 36 by the depression of its key lever causes the shift rail 34: to be raised, carrying with it the platen shift roller 30, the platen frame 27 and the platen 26.

Mounted on the universal bar frame 21 is a support 37, and mounted on the platen shift frame is a support 38 having a depending portion 39 and preferably secured to both the pivot rod 31 and the shift rail 34. (See Figs. 4, 5 and 6). The dependingportion 39 extends rearwardly and is then bent forwardly forming a bearing for one end of a rod 40 provided at the end adjacent the portion 39 with an eccentric pin 41. Pivotally mounted on the rod is a lever 42 connected at one end by means of a link 43 to the support 37 mounted on the frame 21. At the other and depending end of the lever 42 is pivoted an oscillatable arm 44 by means of a pivot pin 44 formed with a slot 45 at its upper end in which the eccentric pin 41 is adapted to move, the slotted end of the arm 44 being disposed between the portions of the depending portion 39. To the other end of the oscillatable arm 44 1s pivoted a ribbon frisket 46 formed at its upper end with slots 47 for contammg the ribbon and an opening 48 between the slotted portions through which a scale is visible. Mounted on the top plate 9 at the sides thereof are ribbon holders 49 for contain in a ribbon 50 which is passed through the slots 47 of the frisket and is moved from one spool to the other by any appropriate means.

In order to vary the position of the frisket 46 and consequently to vary the position of the ribbon carried thereby, it is necessary only to vary the position of the oscillatable arm 44. This may be done by the movement of the eccentric .pin 41 which engages in the slot 45 atthe end of the arm 44. The rod 40 to which the pin 41 is eccentric is preferably pivoted at its outer end in the end piece 32 of the platen shift frame and is provided adjacent the end piece with a bevel gear 51. This end piece 32 is also provided with an arm 52 forming a bearing for one end of a shaft 53 on which is secured a bevel gear 54 meshing with the other bevel gear 51. This shaft 53 is connected to a shaft 53 extending toward the front of the machine by being inserted in a recess 61 in the end of the shaft 53 and a key 62 movable in a slot 63 in the side of the shaft 53 thereby permitting the shaft 53 to move longitudinally with respect to the shaft 53 without actual disengagement therefrom. The other end of the shaft 53 is mounted in a support 55 depending from or secured to the top plate 9 and provided with a stop pin 56 on the outer face thereof. A knurled nut 57 is secured to the shaft 53 at its outer end and is provided with a shouldered portion 58 which is adapted to engage the pin 56 to limit the rotation of the shaft 53 in either direction and with depressions 58 adjacent the shoulders in which the pin 56 engages. It will be noted that in order to permit the platen shift frame to be oscillated for shifting the platen into its upper case osition that an upward movement of the inner end of the shaft 53 is necessary. A

key and slot connection is used between the shafts 53 and 53 so as toallow a slight longitudinal movement of one with respect to the other. This arrangement permits the spring 59 to draw the nut 57 toward bracket 55 to cause pin 56 to enter one of the depressions 58* to prevent the nut from rotatmg.

In operation all that is necessary to vary the path of a ribbon carried by the frisket is to rotate the nut 57 a small amount. To vary the position of the frisket for polychrome writing it may be necessary to rotate the nut to a greater angle. In either case or for either color the path of the ribbon may be varied in the same color by a slight rotation of the nut 57. The oscillation of the frisket is accomplished, as before explained, by means of the engagement of the eccentric pin 41 on the shaft 40 with the slot 45 in the oscillatable arm 44 which is pivoted at its outer end to the frisket. The ordinary action of the frisket which is brought about whenever the heel 18 of one of the type bars 15 strikes the universal bar is effected by means of the connection of the universal bar frame through the support 37 and the link 43 with the oscillatable lever 42 which is pivoted on the shaft 40 and connected by means of pivot 44 to the oscillatable arm 44. In varying the position of the oscillatable arm 44 and the frisket 46 by means of the eccentric adjustment, the ordinary throw of the frisket caused by means of the oscilla tion of the universal bar frame remains practically constant.

What I claim is:

1. In a typewriter ribbon vibrator, a ribbon frisket, a slotted arm for moving the same, and a single rotatable shaft with an eccentric projection directly engageable in the slot for controlling the movement and varying the initial position of the arm.

2. In a typewriter ribbon vibrator, a frisket, a. slotted arm for moving the frisket, a shaft with an eccentric pin extending at right angles to and directly engageable in the slot of the arm and varying the initial position, and means for oscillating the shaft.

3. In a typewriter ribbon vibrator, an oscillatable vibrator arm having a slot therein, a rotatable shaft with'an eccentric pin to directly engage in the slot of the arm, and means for rotating theshaft to vary the initial position of the arm.

4. In a typewriter ribbon vibrator, the combination with an oscillatable pivotally mounted vibrator arm formed with a slot, of a rotatable member having an eccentric pin extending at right angles from and adapted to engage in the slot for varying the initial position of the arm, and means for rotating the member to vary the position of the arm. 7

5. Ina typewriter ribbon vibrator, the

combination with a pivotally mounted arm, of an eccentrically adjustable means for varying the position of the arm, a shaft for rotating the said means, another shaft longitudinally movable with respect to the first named shaft, means for limiting the movement of the second shaft, and means to allow the second shaft to be moved longitudinally whereby it may be rotated free of the stop.

6. In a typewriter ribbon vibrator, the combination of a pivotally mounted oscillatable arm with a slot therein, a rotatable shaft having an eccentric pin to engage in the slot, a bevel gear on the shaft, a second shaft with a bevel gear engaging the'first named bevel gear, a longitudinally movable shaft with a slotted recess in the end to fit over the second named shaft, a key in the second named shaft to permit the longitudinal movement of the movable shaft with respect thereto, a nut secured to the end of the movable shaft having a shoulder thereon, a support for the end of the movable shaft with a stop thereon to engage the shoulder, and a spring adapted to press the movable shaft in position to engage the shoulder of the nut with the stop when the movable shaft is rotated and adapted to allow the movable shaft to be moved outwardly to rotate it free of the stop.

7. In a typewriter ribbon vibrator, the combination with a platen shift frame, of an oscillatable vibrator arm pivotally mounted therein and movable up and down with the shift frame, a pin movable to shift the arm, a shaft eccentric to the pin to move the pin,

and means to move the shaft eccentrically to the pin for operating the arm independent of the position of the shift frame.

8. In a typewriter ribbon vibrator, the combination with a pivotally mounted platen shift frame, of a shaft rotatably therein having an eccentric portion, a lever pivotally mounted on the shaft, a vibrator arm pivoted to one end of the lever and having a portion to engage the eccentric portion of the shaft, and means in connection with the shaft to rotate it to vary the position of the vibrator arm.

9. In a typewriter ribbon vibrator, the combination with a universal bar frame and a pivotally mounted platen shift frame, of a shaft rotatably mounted in the shift frame having an eccentric portion, a lever pivotally mounted on the shaft, a ribbon vibrator arm pivotally connected to one end of the lever and having a portion to engage the eccentric portion of the shaft, means connecting the outer end of the lever with the universal bar frame, and rotatable means in connection with the shaft extending at an angle thereto and operable to rotate it whereby the position of the arm may be varied regardless of the position of the shift frame and the universal bar frame.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 16th day of April, A. D. 1914;.

ALVAH G. ROEBUOK.

WVitnesses:

J. T. SWAT'ISTROT, D. C. AKERs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

